Controlled Input

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A Controlled Input is an identifiable input governed by defined controls before and during its use in an activity, process, workflow, or system operation.

The controls may govern:

• Identification
• Revision
• Source
• Authorization
• Integrity
• Availability
• Validation
• Applicability
• Retention
• Provenance
• Traceability

A Controlled Input may include:

• An Infrastructure Configuration
• An Infrastructure Blueprint
• A Baseline
• A policy
• A schema
• A parameter set
• A source-code revision
• A build specification
• A deployment specification
• A test specification
• A data set

A Controlled Input differs from an uncontrolled input:

• A Controlled Input has an identifiable state and applicable governance controls
• An uncontrolled input lacks one or more controls required to establish its suitability for the activity

The designation controlled does not by itself mean that the input is approved, valid, secure, or suitable for every use. Applicable requirements determine the controls and acceptance conditions.

identifiable input governed by defined controls that establish its state and suitability for use in an activity

Dido Solutions, Inc. and Jackrabbit Consulting, Inc.

A Controlled Input may be human-readable, machine-readable, physical, or digital.

The applicable controls determine whether the input requires:

• An identifier
• A revision identifier
• An authoritative source
• Validation
• Approval
• Authorization
• Integrity verification
• A retention period

A Version-Controlled Artifact may serve as a Controlled Input when the applicable controls establish its suitability for the intended activity.

An identified revision of an Infrastructure Configuration retrieved from a Version Control System and accepted for use by a CI/CD Pipeline is a Controlled Input.